NATURAL HISTORY. 
3 
to tills branch of learning. But we must claim for 
the moderns a preeminence in this respect^ which 
they have not arrived at in some of the other depart- 
ments of knowledge. With the exception of Aristo- 
tle^ and one or two other great men, the ancients did 
comparatively little in this regard. It has been 
reserved to modern times to arrive at any thing like 
a scientific description and classification of what have 
been called the several kingdoms of Nature. 
Towards the end of the seventeenth century, Natu- 
ral History began to be generally cultivated. Among 
our countrymen — Ray, Woodward, Collinson, and 
Edwards, prosecuted the study of it with singular 
success, and they have been followed in the same 
track by many others, scarcely inferior in industry 
or abilities ; none of whom, however, are more 
entitled to praise than the indefatigable Pennant. 
But to the celebrated Linnaeus is justly attributed the 
honour of having first formed Natural History into a 
system : and he may hence perhaps be considered its 
greatest benefactor. Buffbn, it is true, by uniting 
extensive knowledge, ingenuity, and elegance, has 
contributed in a signal manner to diffuse among the 
various ranks of society an ardent desire to obtain a 
more intimate acquaintance with the same study : 
and his attempts have been ably seconded by Jussieu, 
Willdenow, Pulteney, Shaw, and Smith. To these I 
must add the name of one, only just taken from us, 
whose towering genius raised him far above the 
rest of mankind ; and whose labours in behalf of 
Natural History have placed him on the highest 
